POLIT AND BECK NURSING RESEARCH 12TH EDITION FLANAGAN BECK TEST BANK:
CHAPTER-BY-CHAPTER QUANTITATIVE, QUALITATIVE, AND EBP PRACTICE QUESTIONS
WITH ANSWERS CHAPTER 1-32
SECTION A: FOUNDATIONS OF NURSING RESEARCH AND EVIDENCE-BASED
PRACTICE
CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION TO NURSING RESEARCH IN AN EVIDENCE-BASED
PRACTICE ENVIRONMENT
1. What is the highest priority for the importance of research in the nursing
profession?
A) Conduct research to better understand the context of nursing practice.
B) Document the role that nurses serve in society.
C) Research findings provide evidence for informing nurses' decisions and actions.
D) Establish nursing research areas of study.
C) Research findings provide evidence for informing nurses' decisions and actions.
Rationale: The primary goal of nursing research is to generate evidence that supports best
practices and improves patient care. Providing reliable evidence enables nurses to make
informed decisions and deliver high-quality care.
2. Which group would be best served by clinical nursing research?
A) Nursing administrators
B) Practicing nurses
C) Nurses' clients
D) Healthcare policymakers
,C) Nurses' clients
Rationale: While many groups benefit from nursing research, the ultimate goal of clinical
nursing research is to improve patient outcomes. Patients are the primary beneficiaries of
research that ensures care is safe, effective, and evidence-based.
3. In the United States, in what area does research play an important role in nursing?
A) Chronic illness
B) Credentialing and status
C) Nurses' personalities
D) Nurses' education
D) Nurses' education
Rationale: In the early development of nursing research in the United States, studies
focused primarily on nursing education and how nurses were trained. This emphasis on
formalizing the profession and establishing academic standards was foundational.
4. What is the role of a consumer of nursing research?
A) Read research reports for relevant findings.
B) Participate in generating evidence by doing research.
C) Participate in journal club in a practice setting.
D) Solve clinical problems and make clinical decisions.
A) Read research reports for relevant findings.
Rationale: A consumer of nursing research applies existing research findings rather than
generating them. Reading research reports to identify relevant results helps inform clinical
decisions and improve care.
5. What was the concern of most nursing studies in the early 1900s?
A) Client satisfaction
B) Clinical problems
C) Health promotion
D) Nursing education
D) Nursing education
Rationale: In the early 20th century, nursing research primarily focused on nursing
education, including how nurses were trained and how nursing programs were structured.
The emphasis was on formalizing the profession rather than directly studying clinical
outcomes.
,6. Which topic most closely conforms to the priorities that have been suggested for
future nursing research?
A) Attitudes of nursing students toward smoking.
B) Promotion of excellence in nursing science.
C) Nursing staff morale and turnover.
D) Number of doctorate-prepared nurses in various clinical specialties.
B) Promotion of excellence in nursing science.
Rationale: Future nursing research priorities emphasize the promotion of excellence in
nursing science, including methodological innovation and the development of robust
evidence to guide practice.
7. What is the process of deductive reasoning?
A) Verifying assumptions that are part of our heritage.
B) Developing specific predictions from general principles.
C) Empirically testing observations that are made known through our senses.
D) Forming generalizations from specific observations.
B) Developing specific predictions from general principles.
Rationale: Deductive reasoning moves from the general to the specific. Researchers begin
with a general principle or theory and develop specific predictions that can be tested
empirically.
8. What is the ontological assumption of those espousing a naturalistic paradigm?
A) Objective reality and those natural phenomena are regular and orderly.
B) Phenomena are not haphazard and result from prior causes.
C) Reality is multiply constructed and multiply interpreted by humans.
D) Reality is not fixed, but is rather a construction of human minds.
C) Reality is multiply constructed and multiply interpreted by humans.
Rationale: The naturalistic (constructivist) paradigm assumes that reality is subjective and
multiply constructed. There is no single objective reality; instead, reality is interpreted
differently by different individuals.
9. What is the epistemological assumption of those espousing a positivist paradigm?
A) The researcher is objective and independent of those being studied.
B) Phenomena are not haphazard, but rather have antecedent causes.
, C) The researcher instructs those being studied to be objective in providing information.
D) The researcher is interactive and participates in the research process.
A) The researcher is objective and independent of those being studied.
Rationale: In the positivist paradigm, the researcher maintains objectivity and
independence from the subjects being studied. This detachment is believed to ensure that
findings are unbiased and reflect objective reality.
10. Which characteristic is not of the traditional scientific method?
A) Systematic
B) Empirical
C) Emphasis on a holistic view of a phenomenon studied in a rich context
D) Reductionist
C) Emphasis on a holistic view of a phenomenon studied in a rich context
Rationale: The traditional scientific method is characterized by systematic, empirical, and
reductionist approaches. A holistic view studied in rich context is characteristic of
naturalistic/qualitative inquiry, not the traditional scientific method.
SECTION B: CONCEPTUALIZING AND PLANNING A STUDY TO GENERATE EVIDENCE
FOR NURSING
CHAPTER 4: RESEARCH PROBLEMS, RESEARCH QUESTIONS, AND HYPOTHESES
11. What is a research problem?
A) A situation involving an enigmatic or disturbing situation amenable to disciplined inquiry.
B) A statement that summarizes the overall study goal.
C) A prediction about the relationship between variables.
D) A comprehensive survey of existing research.
A) A situation involving an enigmatic or disturbing situation amenable to disciplined
inquiry.
Rationale: A research problem is a perplexing or troubling situation that can be addressed
through systematic investigation. It identifies the gap in knowledge that the study aims to
address.
12. Which example best illustrates a research question in a quantitative study?
CHAPTER-BY-CHAPTER QUANTITATIVE, QUALITATIVE, AND EBP PRACTICE QUESTIONS
WITH ANSWERS CHAPTER 1-32
SECTION A: FOUNDATIONS OF NURSING RESEARCH AND EVIDENCE-BASED
PRACTICE
CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION TO NURSING RESEARCH IN AN EVIDENCE-BASED
PRACTICE ENVIRONMENT
1. What is the highest priority for the importance of research in the nursing
profession?
A) Conduct research to better understand the context of nursing practice.
B) Document the role that nurses serve in society.
C) Research findings provide evidence for informing nurses' decisions and actions.
D) Establish nursing research areas of study.
C) Research findings provide evidence for informing nurses' decisions and actions.
Rationale: The primary goal of nursing research is to generate evidence that supports best
practices and improves patient care. Providing reliable evidence enables nurses to make
informed decisions and deliver high-quality care.
2. Which group would be best served by clinical nursing research?
A) Nursing administrators
B) Practicing nurses
C) Nurses' clients
D) Healthcare policymakers
,C) Nurses' clients
Rationale: While many groups benefit from nursing research, the ultimate goal of clinical
nursing research is to improve patient outcomes. Patients are the primary beneficiaries of
research that ensures care is safe, effective, and evidence-based.
3. In the United States, in what area does research play an important role in nursing?
A) Chronic illness
B) Credentialing and status
C) Nurses' personalities
D) Nurses' education
D) Nurses' education
Rationale: In the early development of nursing research in the United States, studies
focused primarily on nursing education and how nurses were trained. This emphasis on
formalizing the profession and establishing academic standards was foundational.
4. What is the role of a consumer of nursing research?
A) Read research reports for relevant findings.
B) Participate in generating evidence by doing research.
C) Participate in journal club in a practice setting.
D) Solve clinical problems and make clinical decisions.
A) Read research reports for relevant findings.
Rationale: A consumer of nursing research applies existing research findings rather than
generating them. Reading research reports to identify relevant results helps inform clinical
decisions and improve care.
5. What was the concern of most nursing studies in the early 1900s?
A) Client satisfaction
B) Clinical problems
C) Health promotion
D) Nursing education
D) Nursing education
Rationale: In the early 20th century, nursing research primarily focused on nursing
education, including how nurses were trained and how nursing programs were structured.
The emphasis was on formalizing the profession rather than directly studying clinical
outcomes.
,6. Which topic most closely conforms to the priorities that have been suggested for
future nursing research?
A) Attitudes of nursing students toward smoking.
B) Promotion of excellence in nursing science.
C) Nursing staff morale and turnover.
D) Number of doctorate-prepared nurses in various clinical specialties.
B) Promotion of excellence in nursing science.
Rationale: Future nursing research priorities emphasize the promotion of excellence in
nursing science, including methodological innovation and the development of robust
evidence to guide practice.
7. What is the process of deductive reasoning?
A) Verifying assumptions that are part of our heritage.
B) Developing specific predictions from general principles.
C) Empirically testing observations that are made known through our senses.
D) Forming generalizations from specific observations.
B) Developing specific predictions from general principles.
Rationale: Deductive reasoning moves from the general to the specific. Researchers begin
with a general principle or theory and develop specific predictions that can be tested
empirically.
8. What is the ontological assumption of those espousing a naturalistic paradigm?
A) Objective reality and those natural phenomena are regular and orderly.
B) Phenomena are not haphazard and result from prior causes.
C) Reality is multiply constructed and multiply interpreted by humans.
D) Reality is not fixed, but is rather a construction of human minds.
C) Reality is multiply constructed and multiply interpreted by humans.
Rationale: The naturalistic (constructivist) paradigm assumes that reality is subjective and
multiply constructed. There is no single objective reality; instead, reality is interpreted
differently by different individuals.
9. What is the epistemological assumption of those espousing a positivist paradigm?
A) The researcher is objective and independent of those being studied.
B) Phenomena are not haphazard, but rather have antecedent causes.
, C) The researcher instructs those being studied to be objective in providing information.
D) The researcher is interactive and participates in the research process.
A) The researcher is objective and independent of those being studied.
Rationale: In the positivist paradigm, the researcher maintains objectivity and
independence from the subjects being studied. This detachment is believed to ensure that
findings are unbiased and reflect objective reality.
10. Which characteristic is not of the traditional scientific method?
A) Systematic
B) Empirical
C) Emphasis on a holistic view of a phenomenon studied in a rich context
D) Reductionist
C) Emphasis on a holistic view of a phenomenon studied in a rich context
Rationale: The traditional scientific method is characterized by systematic, empirical, and
reductionist approaches. A holistic view studied in rich context is characteristic of
naturalistic/qualitative inquiry, not the traditional scientific method.
SECTION B: CONCEPTUALIZING AND PLANNING A STUDY TO GENERATE EVIDENCE
FOR NURSING
CHAPTER 4: RESEARCH PROBLEMS, RESEARCH QUESTIONS, AND HYPOTHESES
11. What is a research problem?
A) A situation involving an enigmatic or disturbing situation amenable to disciplined inquiry.
B) A statement that summarizes the overall study goal.
C) A prediction about the relationship between variables.
D) A comprehensive survey of existing research.
A) A situation involving an enigmatic or disturbing situation amenable to disciplined
inquiry.
Rationale: A research problem is a perplexing or troubling situation that can be addressed
through systematic investigation. It identifies the gap in knowledge that the study aims to
address.
12. Which example best illustrates a research question in a quantitative study?
